The Secret Lives of Words
by West, Paul
- Used
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- ISBN 10
- 0156014092
- ISBN 13
- 9780156014090
- Seller
-
Reno, Nevada, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Synopsis
We are often unaware of the unique and intriguing stories of the words we love. Thousands of our words have been so twisted, tangled, misused, and muddled over the centuries that their original meaning has been obscured. You'll be surprised to learn that table napkins were once made of and referred to as asbestos, that atom means uncuttable, that a cloud was once a hill, and that a companion is one who eats bread with you. Compiled over the years in his handwritten notebooks, acclaimed prose stylist Paul West offers us an album of treasures. The Secret Lives of Words is an "Antiques Road Show" of language, in which West chronicles the centuries-long travels of words across continents and through cultures. For word enthusiasts, speakers, writers, thinkers, and all readers, this volume recounting the intimate ancestry of language will enrich our understanding of and appreciation for the words we use every day.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Better World Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 3136065-6
- Title
- The Secret Lives of Words
- Author
- West, Paul
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Binding
- Trade Paper
- ISBN 10
- 0156014092
- ISBN 13
- 9780156014090
- Publisher
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
- Place of Publication
- Usa
- This edition first published
- 2001-07-10
Terms of Sale
Better World Books
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